The Scarlet Phantom: Finding the Light in the Darkest of Times

Unmasked

Yor blinked in confusion and surprise as Zereph glued his eyes to the monitor in front of them, the blue hue from the screen tinting his face, making him appear as if he were a stain glass depiction of an Archangel. She should have felt relieved that she had finally gotten him to act like a grown up and focus on work, but instead she felt...disappointed?

"Snap out of it, Yor! He is willingly going to stop being an arrogant pompous douche monkey! Rejoice why don't you!?! Focus! Gray's life is at stake for god's sake!!!"

Just then, Yor noticed Zereph's Siberian husky icy blue irises inched to the side of his eyes to steal a glance at her but they ended up locking eyes instead resulting in a tense silence settling over the room, both of them acutely aware of the dangerous dance they were engaged in by this alliance. Zereph's remark served as a reminder of their shared history, a history filled with betrayal and deception. The hatred between them was palpable, but it was precisely that hatred that fueled their determination to outwit and outmaneuver each other in this deadly game of cat and mouse. As they say, competition is the best driving force.

'Target in sight.' Cody's voice came, breaking the liquid nitrogen cold ice.

A six feet tall, burly, intimidating looking man clad in a pinstripe three piece suit entered the RE museum, standing directly opposite to exhibit 7, leaning against the wall while standing as straight and right as a marble statue, his eyes all too clearly fixed on their actor who was standing at exhibit 7. It would have been more easy if he had a billboard on his head which said "HEY, I'M THE BAD GUY!". Once again, that feeling in Zereph's bones was shouting at him, this was way too obvious. Too easy. Too perfect. As if a staged. If Zereph's life had taught him anything, it was that things that come too easy can be just as easily taken away. 

The burly man shuffled with his sleeve, looking into his wrist watch. 2:30 on the dot. He strides towards the actor standing at exhibit 7, his hand reaching into his coat. 

'HE IS GETTING HIS GUN!' Yor yelled, and before Zereph's head could turn all the way towards her, she was already out the room. All Zereph could do was sit and watch on the monitor as the scarlet goddess strided into exhibit 7, grabbing the burly guy by his collar, so aggressively that Zereph was sure she had broken the guy's neck. As he regarded Yor dragging along the stumbling and disheveled man who was twice her size out of the vision of the camera, Zereph lurched forward, his eyes glued not to Yor but out the window opposite to Exhibit 7. In an instant, his hand flew to his phone.

'Cody!' he yelled into the phone as he darted out the room, running as fast as his long model legs could carry him 'The hacker is going to hack into the surveillance cameras any moment now! Be ready! I need you to track their location! Send it to me as soon as you get it!'

She appeared as a blur of scarlet and she grabbed him by his hemp, stopping him in his tracks, before he could register her existence.

'Where are you going!?!' Yor hissed, shaking the bewildered, cringing and wringing brawny man by his collar 'We've got our man! I swear, If this is some prank or joke, this is not the time-'

'This is not the guy.' Zereph said 'He does not even work for him. 'You are waisting your time with him.'

'What!?! You're crazy-'

'I don't have time,' Zereph took her moment of confusion to catch up on his sprint, calling over his shoulder 'Check the CCTV and ask the guy about why he's here! You'll get it!'

Yor's scarlet lips parted to call after him, but he was already out the museum front door. Yor set her hard, blazing eyes on the burly man who looked not so burly anymore, trembling at her mere gaze. He squeaked like a terrified rat as she shook him by the collar 'WHO DO YOU WORK FOR!?! WHO SEND YOU HERE!?! GIVE ME YOUR WEAPON!'